We filed a case that ultimately increased public scrutiny of how the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority conducts its business and reinforced the importance of stopping the export of dirty U.S. thermal coal through Canada. In late January, we got some disappointing news on the outcome of our long-awaited May 2017 hearing: The court dismissed our clients’ case.

While we respect the decision of the Court, we stand by our position that the Port did not follow the law when it conducted the environmental review that ultimately approved the Fraser Surrey Docks coal project. We believe that if this decision is allowed to stand, it could put the integrity of environmental assessment at risk — and facilitate the approval of other risky projects in the future.

Why the fuss over Fraser Surrey Docks?

For those of you unfamiliar with it: The Fraser Surrey Docks coal export facility would see up to four million tonnes of thermal coal carried by open-car rail from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin through Vancouver’s Lower Mainland each year, ultimately bound for export to foreign markets. This project could pump nearly seven million tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere each year.

The project’s approval stands in stark contrast to what we know needs to happen to tackle climate change. At a time when scientific studies have shown we must do all we can to reduce carbon emissions, this is not the sort of infrastructure we should lock ourselves into. Meanwhile, the federal government has committed to phase out coal and the issue of thermal coal exports is so contentious that it became a factor in the 2017 provincial election in British Columbia.

You likely already know that coal is one of the dirtiest fossil fuels on the planet. Not only does it accelerate climate change but it is detrimental to human health. There are unresolved concerns about the health effects flowing from exposure to coal dust, such as respiratory illnesses. And that’s not all. The transport of coal itself can be dangerous too: Diesel particulate matter emitted by trains carrying the coal is associated with pulmonary inflammation, increased asthma attacks, heart attacks and cancer risk. It’s imperative that we do all that we can to keep it in the ground.

Communities like the ones our clients live in will bear the brunt of these impacts. It’s their families, friends and loved ones who will suffer the undue consequences of living near a coal export facility. Yet, these concerns were not given a fair hearing by the Port.

The Ecojustice team fought tooth and nail to ensure our clients got their day in court, and now we’re committed to continuing the fight to ensure their concerns are addressed and this project is stopped. It won’t be an easy task, but we’re up to the challenge.

Stay tuned for progress on this appeal.

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